A background is generated
The Second World War caused unprecedented disasters to all countries in the world, and the economic, political and social conditions of all countries were devastated. However, since ancient times, the country's unfortunate poets are fortunate, Italian films have not fallen into a dead silence like European powers such as Britain, France and Germany, but have set off a film revolution - a neorealist movement that has a huge momentum and great influence and even changed the history of world cinema in the ruins and smoke. The emergence and development of a film movement certainly involves many reasons, and the following is mainly analyzed by the three most important political, economic and cultural factors
Politics: Mussolini was extremely fascist with his fellow party with the seizure of power in 1922 and the promise to restore the glory of Italian cinema during 1910. In the early 1930s, Italian cinema was on the verge of disappearing, and Mussolini was forced to keep his promise. In 1935 he established the Central Academy of Drama, founded by the left-wing intellectual Luigi. Chialinni led. Chialini's indifference to politics and Marxism greatly influenced rossellini and other important figures in the neorealist movement in the future, and provided them with a hotbed for learning and early creation. With the defeat of Italy in World War II and the fall of Mussolini and fascism, the Italian creative environment was liberated, and neorealism mushroomed.
Economics: On the one hand, In 1938 Mussolini formed a set on the outskirts of Rome with the most cutting-edge production equipment in Europe at that time, providing a good creative environment for the neorealist movement that came later. On the other hand, the war brought great damage to the Italian economy, and italy, which was waiting to be revived, did not have the material basis and conditions to support large-scale production and high-investment films, forcing Italian directors to move closer to small-cost small-scale productions, which gave birth to non-professional actors. Focus on real scenes rejecting the studio. A neorealist film that focuses on the characteristics of low-level characters and so on.
Culture: After the defeat of Italy in World War II and the fall of fascism, the end of cultural high pressure, after the trauma of the war, the director shifted his attention to practical issues such as food and clothing and employment, and the lives of the low-level characters became the inspiration and depiction object of the new batch of Italian directors, as well as the influence of the French poetic realism movement in the 30s.
2. Births and important figures and works
The term "neorealism" was first coined by film critic and professor of the Central Academy of Drama, Umberto. Barbaro argues that he attacks the ignorance and triviality of Italian cinema, disregarding social issues, especially poverty and injustice. Its admiration celebrates French poetic realism as well as Jean. The socialist position of humanity as reflected in Renoir's films. Criticizing the false prosperity of Italian cinema at that time, believing that the gorgeous production and dazzling style were covering up moral weaknesses, he called for simple films with humanistic spirit.
Rossellini (1906-1977) In 1936, Rossellini directed the short drama film "Prelude to the Afternoon of the Shepherd", which officially began his directing career, and his early major filming mainly made documentaries, thus cultivating his pursuit of the authenticity of the film, which had a great influence on his subsequent series of neorealist works. The advent of Rossellini's Rome, the Undefended City in 1945 marked the beginning of the Neorealist movement. Rome, the Undefended City tells the story of Catholics and Communists uniting to fight against the Nazis. Because it is impossible to obtain high-quality film, it can only be replaced by film that shoots news, but the effect of effectiveness and authenticity of news can be obtained. This film has been equipped for live-action shooting. Non-professional actor. Loose structure. Elements of neorealism such as humanistic care and moral sympathy for the bottom layer, so this film also marks the beginning of neorealism.
"Rome, the Undefended City" was acclaimed and acclaimed after its release, winning a number of international awards including the Palme d'Or at the first Cannes Film Festival, and the only neorealist film to win a high box office in the country, which greatly inspired a generation of Italian filmmakers whose creative talents were stifled by the fascist regime and promoted Italy to regain its pride in the film world. In addition, the film also touted Magnani as an international movie star and caused Ingrid. Bergman liked and took the initiative to write to Rossellini to express his intention to make a film with him, and then the two officially met and promoted their marriage during the filming of "Love on the Edge of the Volcano" (the film story of the two ended in divorce in the later period). In the following years, Rossellini continued to compose a number of neorealist films, among which "Rome, the Undefended City" and "War" (aka guerrillas) "German Zero" and called the war trilogy, also the highest artistic achievements.
morality. Sika (1901-1974) came from a theatre background and worked as a singer and actor in his early years, mainly in musicals. In 1940, he directed the film "Red Rose" and began his directing career. In 1943, he collaborated with Chaivatini to produce the first neorealist film "The Child Is Watching Us", which, as his first major work, showed his ambition and artistic standards, and established his outstanding status as a director of young themes. Sika and Truffaut are the directors who can best direct children. Subsequently, "Shoe Shine Boy", "Bicycle Thief", "Wen bielto". D" and other new socialist films, of which "The Bicycle Thief" is the most well-known to the audience and is often regarded as a neorealist masterpiece.
The story of "The Bicycle Thief" is derived from a two-sentence news report, telling the story of a father and son who searched for a stolen bicycle unsuccessfully, and the father was ready to steal a bicycle to make up for his loss and was discovered by others. Sika is shot through a very real and simple way, this film has no villain in the traditional sense, if there is a cruel and cold society and reality, the film is no longer about the characters and events that are stripped and isolated from the audience, but the audience can personally feel and even happen to themselves, expressing a serious discussion of social indifference and a strong moral concern for the low-level characters. This film can be seen as a mature and catalytic work of neorealism. In addition, the acting skills of the protagonist's father and son in this film are really too good, and it is really difficult to believe that both are non-professional actors.
Chaivatini (1902-1989) Was a film theorist and screenwriter who was an unofficial spokesperson and important member of the Neorealist movement. He has published many articles expounding the theories and views of Neorealism, summarizing the Neorealist movement in writing and making academic conclusions. Chaivatini was convinced that telling the ordinary things of ordinary people was the main task of the film, and that grand events and extraordinary characters should be avoided. His ideal film is a continuous 90-minute period of a person's real life, and he scoffs at the traditional plot structure, believing that filmmaking is not to create myths on the real material of life, but to ruthlessly expose the dramatic connotations of these realities. Reality and the audience should be no distance, the director should not distort the integrity of life, the artistic technique should be hidden and invisible, and the subject matter should be "discovered" rather than manipulated.
The mention of Chaivatini necessitates mentioning de. Sika, the two are famous partners in the history of film, although the two also have separate works of cooperation, but the achievements and standards are completely inferior to the works of the two. The writers of the films directed by Sika are both Chaivatini, in fact, De Blanc. Most of Sika's best works were written by Chaivatini, and so was Chaivatini. The sociological rigor of Chaivatini is with virtue. Sika's poetic sensitivity is set off with the sharpness of comedy, and the political tension between the two merges into political poems and realistic emotions.
Visconti (1906-1976) Unlike the previous two directors, Visconti's background and experience are more special and complex. Born into an Italian aristocratic family, he received an aristocratic education from an early age and lived a luxurious life in an early age. He then discovered a talent for self-generated cinema. 1936 by Coco. Chanel introduced to the director Jean. Renoir also served as an assistant for his films The Lower Floor and Country Day, during which time he was assigned. Renoir influenced, gradually transformed into a Marxist, and focused his creative goals on the low-level characters. In 1942, he wrote and directed his debut film "Sinking", which was adapted from the American novel "The Postman Always Rings Twice". The protagonist of this film is the working class, filmed in a documentary style, using ordinary actors to perform in a strong realistic style, which has begun to take shape, so it is regarded as a precursor to neorealism, but it lacks the moral level of neorealism, so it is not traditionally included in neorealist films.
In 1948, Visconti filmed "The Earth is Fluctuating", which is based on fishermen who cannot stand exploitation and extortion and rise up to resist, and is a very epic style, one of the representative works of the neoreal wave, and Visconti also collaborated with Rossellini, de Vinci. Sika is listed as one of the "Three Masters of Neorealism"
Neorealist directors and works are far more than the ones I mentioned above, and there is no shortage of other masterpieces, due to space constraints, this article mainly briefly describes the most representative and influential characters and works.
3. Ideological and aesthetic characteristics
ideology
1 A new democratic spirit that emphasizes labor. farmer. The value of ordinary people such as workers
2 A sympathetic view that refuses to make superficial moral criticisms
3 Focus on Italy's fascist past and war wounds such as poverty. unemployment. prostitution. Black market, etc
4 Mixed Catholic and communist humanitarian positions
5 Emphasize emotions rather than abstract ideas
Aesthetic features
1 Avoid a mature storyline and take a loose paragraph structure, which naturally develops from the situation in which the characters are located
2 Documentary-style visual style
3 Use real scenes - usually exterior rather than inside the studio
4 Non-professional actors to play, even the protagonist
5 Avoid literary dialogue and adopt conversational dialogue, including dialects
6 Avoid splicing. photography. Decorate with light, and adopt a simple "styleless" style
Iv. Development and decline
Since rosilyni nero's Rome, the Undefended City, which opened neorealism in 1945, a large number of neorealist filmmakers have emerged in Italy, and the neorealist movement flourished in the 1940s, and Italian cinema once again appeared on the international stage, in addition to the above-mentioned films and authors, as well as such as De Blasio. Santis's "Roman ElevenThirms", Luci. Zang Ba's "Difficult Times" and other outstanding filmmakers and works.
The film industry generally believes that the Neorealism movement was only seven or eight years old, that is, the neorealism was dead in the early 1950s, and this clear delineation of time has strong limitations. Although the three masters mentioned in the article also made films on other subjects during their directing careers, they also involved or even returned to neorealism in the later period, including the mention of "Rome Eleven" and many other neorealist works in the article, which were not in the time period of 1945-early 1950s. Neorealism has never died out, and its succession will be elaborated later. As for the decline and weakness of neorealism, it is real. The decline of Neorealism dates back to the late 1940s, when neither the impact of production quality can be compared to that of the 1940s and forties. Its decline, like its birth, is mainly analyzed from the three aspects of political economy and culture.
Politics: Italy's left-wing political parties supporting neorealism lost power, and in 1949, the right-wing ruling coalition passed the "Andreotti Act" to give the government electricity inspection office the right to prohibit the export of films with a "negative" image of the state.
Economics: With the emergence of the "economic miracle" in the 1950s, a large amount of capital poured into the film industry, and the neorealism of small production and small cost was no longer in line with the current state of the industry. Neorealism was to some extent poor, and when Italy regained its wealth, Neorealism seemed out of place.
Culture: After several years of cultivation, Italy has gradually shaken off the trauma and suffering caused by the war, and the overall prosperity and development of the country has prompted neorealism to resonate with the audience and the market. Even the Marxist artist Antonioni had to admit that "stealing bicycles" was no longer a social concern.
In addition to these three, there are many reasons such as the impact of Hollywood, changes in audience preferences, etc., which will not be repeated here.
V. Inheritance and Influence
Although Neorealism gradually declined in the early 1950s, it never died out, and its core and spirit were absorbed by many filmmakers and genres in later generations, and the emergence of Neorealism radiated eternal light in another way. French New Wave Movement. The British "kitchen sink" realism and the Czechoslovak "Prague Spring" movement can be seen to some extent as the inheritance and development of neorealism. Countless filmmakers draw nourishment from neorealism, fellini and Antonioni two masters of the early works of the main learning objects and styles from neorealism, today's film industry has countless outstanding film practitioners to respect neorealism, it is worth mentioning that China's sixth batch of directors in the early days are mostly influenced by neorealism and to a certain extent imitate learning.
Influence Neorealism is a rebellious impact on the artistic norms and set system of traditional Hollywood films, which greatly affects the set system and enriches and expands the boundaries and scope of film language, becoming an important part of realism in the history of world cinema. It has improved Italy's position in the world film world and changed the balance of power between European and American cinema. It is the second film aesthetic movement that emerged after the avant-garde film movement, and has had a profound impact on the development of world film history.
Reminder This article has been excerpted in many places from Flashback. A Brief History of Cinema", the idea of writing is also largely derived from "Flashback. A Brief History of Cinema), and where necessary, in conjunction with my own additional notes, those interested in further insight can refer to Flashback. A Brief History of Cinema
